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Jim Harbaugh reacts to Capital One Orange Bowl loss to Georgia

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery•12/31/21
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke with reporters after being handed a humiliating 34-11 loss at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs in the Capital One Orange Bowl.

“Great season, really proud of our guys. With the score lopsided, they were still having fun fightin’. I was fightin’ right next to them. It wasn’t our night, they were the better team tonight,” Harbaugh said.

“This is the start. As we just talked about in there, the team isn’t going to be the same next year. But this is the start. In Michigan history, I believe it is one of the best teams ever. It’s a beginning. Onward,” the Michigan head coach said.

Simply put, Michigan got dominated in the game in every way, shape, and form. Hassan Haskins only had 39 rushing yards on nine carries before leaving with an injury. Blake Corum only had six rushing yards on three carries. The Bulldogs stifled the Wolverines’ elite rushing attack and pretty much made it nonexistent. Coming into the game, Michigan had the nation’s 10th ranked rushing attack and they just couldn’t get anything going on the ground.

The Bulldogs‘ front seven was so incredibly dominant, they showed why they were one of the best defenses in college football history in the regular season. They’re unbelievably big, fast, and strong.

Nakobe Dean dominated the game

You can spin it however you want or write it a million different ways, but Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean once again proved that he’s one of the nation’s best at his position.

He’s likely to be a top 10 overall selection in the NFL Draft when he chooses to go pro. The gifted linebacker racked up seven tackles, a sack, and forced a fumble in an incredible performance.

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Harbaugh is right to keep a positive mindset

Jim Harbaugh had the right mindset after the game in crowning the team as one of the best in Michigan football history. His team demolished Iowa 42-3 in the Big Ten Championship Game and it was a beautifully orchestrated gameplan from Michigan’s coaches and Harbaugh’s staff. The breakthrough 42-27 win against Ohio State won’t soon be forgotten by Michigan fans, either.

Wolverine all-world defensive end Aidan Hutchinson planting Thayer Munford in that game will forever be an iconic moment in Wolverine football lore. Check it out below.

It was a massive win for the program and Harbaugh. The importance of it can’t be overstated. He’d been searching for big wins for much of his coaching career at Michigan and he finally found a way to breakthrough this season. Much of the credit goes to the offensive line coach for the Wolverines, Sherrone Moore, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, and the rest of the coaches there.

Plenty of the Michigan assistant coaches were highly coveted commodities in the college football world this bowl season, and that’s no accident.

Now the tough part for Harbaugh and company in Michigan will be sustaining the high level of success they had in 2021. If this year was just the beginning of great things, he’ll have to prove it.